A full bathroom refit in a standard family bathroom typically costs between £8,000 and £14,000 with us, including tiling, plumbing coordination and decoration.
Where the money goes
For a typical refit at around £11,000 the split looks roughly like this: a third on labour for strip out, boarding, tiling and fitting; a quarter on the suite, taps and shower; about a fifth on tiles and adhesive; the rest on plumbing and electrical work by our certified partners, waste removal and decorating.
Those shares move with your choices. A designer basin or a large format stone tile can add more than an extra week of labour does.
What moves the price
Moving the toilet or shower, the tiles you choose and what we find behind the old walls. Leaks and rotten joists are common in older houses, so we always include a contingency line in the quote.
Moving the toilet is the most expensive layout change, because the waste pipe needs a steady fall to the soil stack. Moving a basin or turning a bath into a shower usually costs much less.
Tiles count twice: once for the price per square metre and again for the time they take to lay. Large porcelain slabs need two people and careful levelling, and small mosaics take hours per square metre.
Hidden problems are the third factor. In houses built before 1930 we often find leaking joints, joists damaged by years of drips or walls too weak to tile. Our quotes include a contingency line, usually 10 percent, which we only use after we have shown you what we found.
Typical price ranges
Refresh with the same layout, a new suite and tiled wet areas: £8,000 to £9,500.
Full refit with the same layout and tiles from floor to ceiling: £10,000 to £12,500.
Full refit with a layout change or a walk in shower: from £12,000, typically up to £14,000.
These figures include strip out, waste removal, boarding and waterproofing, tiling, fitting, partner work with certificates and decorating any painted walls.
How to keep it down
Keep the layout, tile only the wet areas and choose standard-size tiles. A well-planned refit at the lower end still looks excellent.
Buying the suite and tiles yourself can save money, as long as everything arrives before we start. Send us the links first and we will check the sizes, the quantities and that the shower valve suits your water pressure.
How long it takes
Most refits take eight to twelve working days. You will be without the bathroom for most of that time, so if it is the only one in the house we plan the order to keep a working toilet for as long as possible.
Tiles and grout need time to cure, so the last two days are quieter: silicone, accessories, painting and a final clean.
Planning ahead
Good tilers and plumbers are booked several weeks ahead, especially in spring. If you want the work finished by a particular date, ask for a quote two to three months before it. Choose the suite and tiles before the start date is fixed, because delivery times for some ranges run to four weeks.
Think about storage while the walls are open. A recessed niche, a mirrored cabinet set into the wall or a vanity unit with drawers costs far less to add during the refit than afterwards.
Comparing quotes
Ask for an itemised quote so you can compare like with like. Check that it includes waterproofing behind the tiles, waste removal and certificates for electrical and gas work. A lower price that leaves those out is not cheaper in the end.
It also helps to ask who will be on site each day and who you call if something comes up.
